


Like Moths to the Flame

by itsYOUiSEVER



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Delusions, Dwarves, Elves, Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hearing Voices, Hobbits, Interspecies Relationship(s), Orcs, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Protective Thorin, Skin-changer, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soulmates, Stubborn Dwarves, Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-24 19:16:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20711147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsYOUiSEVER/pseuds/itsYOUiSEVER
Summary: Athelas Wolfsbane was what most men would call savage. When you go through what she went through being savage is the least of your worries. Everything had been taken from her at a young age and she wanted vengeance.Orc blood was what she sought most. It was the pale Orc that she needed to kill to get some kind of closure. She had watched it as it slaughtered her entire family and left her an orphan.She had been too small and powerless at the time to have even gone up against the beast. She hid in a hollowed-out tree for days before she crawled out and grieved over her family. She swore to her father and mother that she would get revenge for them.It was her bloodthirst that drew Gandalf in and caused him to ask her to be a part of a journey across Middle Earth to reclaim the Dwarven city of Erebor from the firedrake called Smaug. The Dwarven king though wasn’t fond of Gandalf’s choice of enforcer. To him, Athelas looked like a frail woman gone mad in grief but she was so much more than that.





	1. Darkness Consumes All

chapter one | darkness consumes all

Her breath created a fog a few inches from her face as her paws slapped against the ground with purpose. In her mouth was her pack that had all her weapons and her clothes in it. It was early in the morning. The sun was barely over the horizon and she had been running since the moon was high in the sky. 

To be quite honest, Athelas hated traveling by horse. The creatures were too headstrong most of the time and didn’t like that she was a creature herself so they wouldn’t listen to her. Her wolf was suffice enough to get her across Middle Earth in ample time. 

Most creatures were scared of her. They could see the beast underneath her skin. It wasn’t a pretty creature. Gaia as Athelas referred to her wolf had been through the same things she had and she was just as strong as her. Scarred with tufts of hair missing from her entire body due to the scars that her human body held. When the adrenaline left her body, Gaia had a limp. It favored its right front leg over the back right leg. In her human form, Athelas too had a limp that she tried to hide so she didn’t look weak. There was a large scar from her right ankle up to the crook of her knee from an Orc who had gotten in a good swing. 

The weapons strapped to her pack made a metal clanging noise with each step. Those weapons, her short swords and her dagger, they had taken lives and spilled blood numerous times. Her short swords had a name but her dagger had yet to make its name known to her. Her father always told Athelas that swords were named after great battles. He had been a blacksmith his whole life and Athelas had taken his words to heart. Her dagger had yet to see battles. _ Wolfsfang _ was what the short swords had told her their name was. 

Athelas didn’t have a destination. Her body had told her to just keep running and she’d find what she was looking for. Gaia told her that she needed to just run. She couldn’t explain it but there was just this feeling in her core telling her she needed to be there in that moment. She was headed south towards Bree but she didn’t know if she’d even stop there. That question was answered by deep pain in Athelas’ stomach. She hadn’t eaten in days. She hadn’t had the time to eat. There probably was a piece of stale bread at the bottom of her pack but she was just outside Bree. 

Athelas tossed her pack to the side and allowed her body to transform. The process was always painful and it took a lot of energy out of her. A few minutes later, she was back in her human form laying in the grass. She took a few moments to collect herself. She let out a shaky breath and got herself up onto her feet. She moved over to her pack and grabbed out her clothes and leather armor. 

She dressed quickly and adorned her leather armor. _ Wolfsfang _found themselves resting on her back in their sheaths and her dagger was strapped to her thigh. She held her pack in her hands and rummaged through looking for her small pouch of gold. She grasped it in her hand and placed it back in the pack which she then slung over her shoulder. 

It began to pour down rain and Athelas sighed deeply, annoyed that it decided to rain then and not when she had gotten into the tavern she planned to wander into. She didn’t have a cloak to pull over her head and her hair plastered to her face as she walked towards the city of Bree. 

She definitely stood out amongst the people of Bree. It wasn’t often people saw a woman walking through their streets dressed in armor and weapons strapped to her person. She caught the attention of most of the people. She decided to take advantage of that and approached a young woman who she had caught staring at her. 

The woman immediately apologized as Athelas moved towards her and tried to busy herself with what she had been doing but Athelas held a hand up. “I am looking for a place to eat and sleep. Where might I find that?” The raven-haired woman asked her as the other woman did nothing but point in the direction Athelas had been walking towards. 

Athelas thanked her and went on her way down the weaving streets. The rain was rather cold and she was soaked to the bone. When she laid eyes on the tavern known as _ The Prancing Pony, _she was beyond happy. She made her way into the dark tavern and shook herself off like a dog at the entrance, gaining looks from the patrons. 

She immediately sat down at the table that was closest to the fire that burned in the middle of the tavern. She placed her pack on a chair next to where she was sitting and waited for the barmaid to bring her some food. 

One patron, in particular, stood out amongst the crowd and Athelas knew she wasn’t the only one who noticed the Dwarven Lord sitting hunched over food. Two people, in particular, seemed to be taking great interest in the dwarf. Both men weren’t soldiers. They were just men who had taken a coin and were trying to do someone else’s bidding. 

Truth be told, Athelas wanted a peaceful meal for once so she made a decision that probably wasn’t the best. Athelas grabbed her pack and got up from her table, moving over to the dwarf’s table. She sat herself down on the stool and gained his attention. His hand was reaching for his sword and she smirked at him. He really thought that he’d have the upper hand in this situation. If Athelas wanted him dead, he would have been dead ten times over.

“You are far from your home, my lord.” Athelas remarked as she grabbed the attention of the barmaid and asked her to bring her a meal and some ale. 

“Who are you?” The dwarf asked in an almost menacing tone but Athelas wasn’t scared. He was really at her mercy and she got a kick out of that. 

“Athelas Wolfsbane, at your service.” She retorted mockingly as the barmaid placed her food and drink in front of her. 

She grabbed the piece of bread first and picked it apart before throwing the pieces into her mouth while she kept her gaze on the dwarf. “And you are?” Athelas raised a hand offhandedly at him and gestured for him to start a conversation. He seemed determined not to speak a word to the young woman and Athelas wondered if it were due to her appearance. 

She looked rather rough on the edges and scars were all over her body. She could feel his eyes on her and she knew where he was looking. The jagged scar across her forehead from a man who had tried to take advantage of her. It was an ugly scar, to say the least. 

“It is rude to leave a lady waiting, my lord.” He raised a dark eyebrow at her boldness and finally offered her some words but not the ones that she was hoping for. Athelas grabbed ahold of the sausage and took a rather large bite out of it. 

“You are a skin-changer.” 

His sentence made her stop mid-chew. The tone of his voice annoyed Athelas. He spoke of her race as if it were some kind of disease. Like dwarves were superior. Arrogant. The pointed look that Athelas gave the dwarf was one that could have set fire to him if she tried hard enough. 

_ Let me kill him. _Gaia shouted in Athelas’ head as she grabbed her dagger from its sheath and began to stab at the table with the weapon. It took a lot of energy to keep Gaia at bay. Athelas was just trying to keep herself moving so the wolf deep within her didn’t come out. 

“And you are a dwarf. How about you give me a reason not to allow those men to have their way with you because, at this point, I am ready to help them.” She played with her dagger in her hands and looked up at the dwarf with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She glanced to the men at either side of them and they were watching her closely. 

Her attention then turned to the tall man dressed in all gray that made himself at home at the table with Athelas and the dwarf. “Mind if I join you?” She scoffed at his words because he had already seated himself and there was no stopping him from joining them. He stopped the barmaid and asked for a meal and then looked to the two seated at the table before him.

“I should introduce myself. My name is Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey.” He told the two of them as Athelas regarded the man with a sharp eye, taking in his entire being. He was tall, much taller than the dwarf or even herself. He had long gray hair and an even longer beard and he wore a pointy hat atop his head which made Athelas raise an eyebrow at him.

The dwarf spoke lowly, saying that he knew who the man was and Gandalf chuckled at his words. 

“Well, now, this is a fine chance. What brings Thorin Oakenshield and Athelas Wolfsbane to Bree?” Gandalf asked as the raven-haired woman downed her entire pint of ale and glared at the man who was insinuating that she had anything to do with the dwarf in front of her. 

The man seemed to feel Athelas’ annoyance and raised a dismissive hand in her direction which caused her to narrow her eyes even more. Gandalf began to discuss matters that just pertained to Thorin and he seemed to grow angry as each word came out of the man’s mouth. 

“This will not be discussed in front of _ the skin-changer _.” Thorin sneered as he pointed a thick finger at the skin-changer across from him and that was when Athelas snapped. 

Her teeth changed before their eyes as she snarled at Thorin. Gaia wanted out. She wanted dwarven blood at that moment. Athelas knew her half changed form was terrifying and that was what she wanted to be. 

“I am an animal. Savage, they say. You go through what I have and tell me you wouldn’t come out a monster. I dare you.” She snarled at Thorin as she got up from the table and grabbed her back. 

She retreated outside and made her way out of Bree. She decided that she would make her bed for the night under a tree not far from the edge of the city. She had taken off her armor and clothes to allow her wolf to come out. 

Her wolf was restless. She paced where she planned to sleep back and forth, snarling to Athelas that she didn't like the dwarf. He was arrogant and prideful. Gaia didn't like that. 

A twig snapped just a few feet from Athelas and she bared her teeth at whatever it was sneaking up on her. The tall gray-haired man was standing before her with his arms slightly raised in a defensive position. Gaia didn’t want to be disturbed. She wanted to wallow in her anger and eventually pass out. Athelas was interested in hearing what the man had to say and Gaia reluctantly allowed her to change back. 

Athelas quickly changed into tunic and trousers and moved so she was standing in front of Gandalf. “You are the reason I am here, aren’t you?” This wasn’t meant as a question more a statement that she wanted to be confirmed. He nodded his head at her and retorted that he was only partly to blame for it. 

“You seek vengeance against the pale orc, correct?” Gandalf said in the same manner that she had just done to him. He wasn’t asking a question. He knew things about her that she hadn’t told others. She didn’t talk about the slaughter of the Wolfsbanes. “What if I had a way for you to get your vengeance and find a home?” 

Those words caught her attention. She longed for a home. She wouldn’t ever admit it but she longed to be whole again and belong somewhere. Gaia liked to idea of vengeance. She wanted to get her teeth bloody. 

_ Do it. This is what we came here for. _

“How would I get my vengeance?” Athelas asked the wizard as he offered her a small smile, knowing he had planted his seed in her mind and there was no stopping her now. 

“In two fortnights, there will be a meeting in Bag End of the company traveling to take back the dwarven city of Erebor. Azog the Defiler wants Thorin dead. That is where you will get your vengeance. On this quest.” He replied to her question as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

She didn’t want to help the dwarves. She did want revenge. 

“How would I know where to go for this meeting?” Athelas asked. 

The wizard began to walk away from her and only offered that there would be a mark on the door of the hobbit hole that he chooses. Athelas watched as the man walked out of her sight and she was more confused than she had been before. She decided to sleep on this and make a decision the next day. Her decision would be made by a dream she had that night and when she awoke, she needed to be a part of this company. 

Though the dream she had told her that this journey would most likely be the death of her. She was ready to face death head-on with a bloody smile on her face. 


	2. a peculiar meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more of filler than anything but I think it shows Athelas' character and allows you to get to know her better. Next one will be a little more exciting the say the least. enjoy!

chapter two | a peculiar meeting

_Athelas, that wasn't a dream. That was almost a premonition. _ Gaia was trying to talk to Athelas as she sharpening _ Wolfsfang _ with a wet stone. 

She was trying to keep herself busy so that visions of the very real dream she had didn't come back. She was just outside the Shire debating if she really wanted to go on this quest or not. She had seen a few dwarves trail their way into the Shire and none of them paid her any mind. 

She was sitting under a tree dressed in her armor and a dark crimson cloak over top. Her pack was at her feet and one of her twin blades were on her lap. Her dagger was strapped to her thigh. 

The dwarves that caught her attention upon their arrival were two much younger dwarves than she had expected. Ones that probably hadn't even seen a battle or shed any blood. They walked together side by side snickering to the other as they whispered. They had to be related in some way with how they acted together. 

_ They were in our dream, Athelas. _

Athelas knew this. She had been trying not to think about it. The pain that she had felt in her dream was a pain she hadn’t felt since she watched her family die before her eyes. Athelas couldn’t help the images that flashed before her eyes as she relived that horrid dream. 

* * *

  


_ She knew something bad was coming. She didn’t know what had happened before this moment but she knew what she was feeling. They were afraid of losing everything they had just gained back. She stood next to Thorin as the realization hit him that they were running into a trap that Azog had laid for them and he had ordered Dwalin to find Fíli and Kíli and regroup but then a loud bang rang out like a war drum. _

_ That was when Athelas felt the most fear she had in her life. There before her in a ruined tower of the outskirts of Erebor stood Azog with Fíli kneeling at his feet. Her breath hitched and she wanted to scream. _

_ “This one dies first,” Azog spoke in the black tongue as he dangled Fíli over the edge of the tower and Athelas darted forward trying to figure out how to save the young dwarf who didn’t deserve to die. “Then his brother. Then the girl. And finally you, Oakenshield. You will die last. You can watch them all perish.” _

_ “Fíli! Amrâl!” Athelas screamed as Thorin had to hold her back from running up there to end Azog himself. She trashed against his arms and tried her hardest to break his hold. She needed to get up there and protect him. She had to save him. _

_ Azog sneered a devious smile at Athelas and drove his sword through Fíli’s back. In that moment Athelas broke free from Thorin’s grip and ran to the base of the tower as Azog let Fíli drop from his grip. Tears were streaming from her face as she reached Fíli and fell to her knees next to his body. All that was racing through her head was to find a way to save him. She opened his armor so she could get a look at the wound and pressed her hands firmly against where the sword had been thrusted through. _

_ “It’s going to be ok, Fíli. You’ll be ok. I promise. We have lots to do. We have lots of things to see remember.” She whispered to him as she moved a hand from the wound up to his face to gently caress it. She stopped all movement when she saw no light in his open eyes. No glint of mischief. No sign of the young dwarf even remained just a husk, a shell. _

_ Athelas let out a wail as she clenched her fists and gathered the dwarf into her lap. She cradled him against her body and in turn covered herself in blood. She looked up when she heard movement next to her and saw Thorin standing over her. Her grip on the blonde’s body was iron tight and she didn’t want to let go. _

_ “Amralime. We must go. We cannot stay here and be slaughtered. We have to fight for Fíli.” Thorin spoke to her in a gentle voice as she stood slowly from where she had been cradling Fíli and looked down at her hands, which were covered in blood. _

_ She used this blood to create her familiar marking on her face and she steeled her expression to cold and emotionless as she moved past Thorin with her twin blades in hand. She was out for blood. _  
  


* * *

She had been lost in her head for some time. It was dark when she finally came to. Her body was numb from the pain in her chest and she didn’t know what exactly to do. Athelas gathered her things and slid her twin swords into their sheaths on her back. She stood up from her spot underneath the small tree and scanned the area. 

A figure was moving towards her. Not directly at her but on the path that she was standing near. She recognized the dwarf before her. Thorin Oakenshield. Supposed King Under the Mountain. He was not happy to see her not that it mattered because she wasn’t happy to see him either. She had hoped on avoiding the dwarf entirely. At first, it looked like he was going to just keep moving past her into Bag End but he stopped just a few feet from her. 

She regarded him with a suspicious eye and allowed him to make the first move. She was ready to react if the dwarf was to try anything. He seemed to be regarding her in the same manner and his eyes ran up and down the length of her. 

She was taller than her by at least a foot, though he definitely had her beat on pure muscle. She had a good deal of muscle to her body but it was more of a slender kind of muscle, not bulk muscle. They both had the same raven-colored hair but Thorin’s had sprinkles of gray throughout it showing his age. Athelas’ hair laid flat against her head while Thorin’s was held back with two warrior braids at both sides of his head. 

“Why are you here, skin-changer?” Thorin asked as Athelas raised an eyebrow at his bold play of sneering her race at her like it hadn’t been the last straw for her the last time they had seen each other. 

“You really like walking fine lines, don’t you dwarf?” She retorted sneering his race back at him in the same manner he had done to her. “If you must know, Gandalf wanted me to join your little party to get Erebor back.” 

Thorin seemed annoyed by her words and was contemplating his next words. She knew the company he had going with him to reclaim the dwarven city wasn’t big and that he’d need all the help he could get but she also could see that he was stubborn. It seemed like forever until some words spilled their way out of Thorin’s mouth. 

“I will not take any chances, skin-changer. If you cause any harm to my kin, I will not hesitate to cut you down. Am I understood?"

_ I’d like to see you try, dwarf. _Gaia growled out inside Athelas’ head. 

Athelas nodded her head at him and he motioned for her to walk down the path into Bag End first. No words were exchanged on their way through the hobbit village to find the mark that Gandalf had left for them. Athelas allowed her eyes to wander and take in all of the hobbit holes and their quaintness. She could feel the dark-haired dwarf’s eyes on her back as she walked the path before them and she wondered what was going through his head. Her instinct was to hold onto her dagger but she didn’t want to cause bloodshed that didn’t need to happen. 

She noticed a strange marking on a hobbit hole just up the path on the right and it was beginning to fade. Had she not been surveying her surroundings she wouldn’t have found it. It was evident that a company of dwarves were inside that hobbit hole due to the noises that could be heard from outside. Laughter and shouts could be heard. The kind of merriment that Athelas hadn’t heard in a long time. 

Thorin strode right up to the door and knocked while Athelas stood at the entrance to the hobbit hole, wondering if this was what she was meant to do. The door opened and revealed Gandalf smiling at the two of them. The dwarf looked back at her and beckoned for her to come forward. She pulled the hood of her cloak down from atop her head and stepped forward, coming into sight of twelve dwarves and one hobbit. She didn’t like the eyes all over her. She didn’t feel comfortable. 

“Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn’t have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door.” Thorin stated as he walked his way into the hobbit home and shucked off his fur coat, haphazardly throwing it at a chest in the hallway. Athelas stepped in behind Thorin and kept herself as far from the group as she could in the small space.

The hobbit then moved forward, questioning Gandalf about the supposed mark that had led all these dwarves to him and he even went as far to step outside and look for the mark on his door. 

“There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield, and our enforcer, Athelas Wolfsbane.” Gandalf introduced the two of them to Bilbo as Thorin moved closer to the hobbit, assessing him. 

Athelas regarded the hobbit in an observing manner and wondered exactly why Gandalf had picked him of all people to be a part of this quest. He couldn’t have any battle experience as he was a hobbit. They were docile by nature. Living and dying in the same place that they were born. 

“So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting? Axe or sword? What’s your weapon of choice?” Thorin asked the hobbit as he walked a circle around the confused creature. 

Athelas snorted at the hobbit’s response to Thorin’s question and shook her head before surveying the company before her. All of their faces were friendly and almost endearing. They didn’t look as if they had seen battle either. Most looked as if they would have been too young or not even born yet to remember their home of Erebor. Those who looked to be old enough to have lived through the dragon were just that _ old. _

One of the dwarves from her dream stepped forward, regarding her and asked who she was. She already knew his name. She tried hard to keep her tears at bay as she looked the dwarf in the eyes. She had watched him die.

“Athelas Wolfsbane, first of her name and last of her race.” She said with pride as she watched how they all would react to the last thing she spoke. Most would have given her a look of sympathy which wasn’t what she wanted. 

“And what are you, my lady? If you don’t mind me asking.” Fíli asked her as she smiled. She could understand why she had felt the pain she felt in her dream about this dwarf’s death. He seemed sweet and like he didn’t know how the world truly was. 

“I am a skin-changer, master dwarf.” She retorted as she moved a little further away from the group in case they reacted badly. Most didn’t particularly like that she could turn into a wolf at will. Though she didn’t blame them since Gaia could do some real damage. 

Thorin’s nephews seemed intrigued by her and most of the younger dwarves whispered among themselves almost excitedly. Dwalin and the silver-haired dwarf next to him regarded her with the same eye that Thorin had. Kíli and Fíli approached Athelas fully and they stood very close to her asking her all the questions that they could think of about skin-changers. 

_ What do you change into? Does it hurt to change back and forth? Can you change into it at will? Do you change when things get stressful? _

She answered all of their questions in the best way she could. _ A wolf. Yes, it does hurt. Yes, I can. Sometimes she takes over when I am hurt. _

Thorin then cleared his throat and gained the attention of the entire company. “Let us discuss the things that we came here to discuss, hmm.” He said as all of them nodded their heads at him and moved into a room just next to where they all had been standing. Somehow all of those dwarves fit themselves at the oval table that seemed to have been moved into a hallway rather than the kitchen and Thorin sat at the head of the table. Athelas kept herself separate from the group standing next to the hobbit. 

They began discussing the meeting that Thorin had gone to their kin and if they were going to be getting help with this quest. It seemed as if the dwarves would only help if they had the beloved Arkenstone. Bilbo moved away from Athelas to the kitchen and came back with a plate of food for her. 

“I did not know what it is you like so I grabbed a bit of everything.” The hobbit said as she took the plate from him and thanked him. 

_ I like this one. _Gaia said as Athelas dug into the various foods on her plate. She agreed with Gaia she liked the hobbit. 

The room erupted in loud chatter of the dragon named Smaug and how they could take on the beast because they had Gandalf who must have killed hundreds of dragons by himself. Upon the comment that Kili made, Gandalf coughed and choked on the smoke that he had been trying to release from his lungs. The Dwarves then began to question Gandalf and the commotion was giving Athelas a headache. 

Thorin loudly shut them all up with a single word in their Dwarven language. He spoke to all of them in a manner that even got Athelas in high spirits. He talked of gaining back their home and slaying the dragon. That was until Balin reminded them that the front entrance had caved in a long time ago and there were no more entrances. Gandalf then pulled a crude key out of his cloak and all the dwarves looked at him in awe. 

Gandalf then spoke of the map that was laid out in front of Thorin. A hidden door somewhere on the mountain. This gave the company hope until the wizard reminded them that dwarf doors were invisible. The answer was on the map but Gandalf alone couldn't read it so they needed the help of others in Middle Earth. 

That's when the conversation went back to needing a burglar and the hard of hearing dwarf mistook Bilbo's remarks about needing an expert as a statement of his own skills. Athelas snorted at the commotion that Bilbo brought up as he tried to explain himself. Balin seemed to be trying to gently put that Bilbo didn't belong on their quest while Dwalin flat out said he didn't belong because he couldn't fight nor fend for himself. 

Surprisingly Bilbo seemed to agree with Dwalin and wasn't offended by the comment. Then the dwarves started an uproar once more and it seemed as if Gandalf had had enough of it. He stood up to his full length which hit the ceiling of the hobbit's home, remarking that if he said Bilbo was a burglar than that was what he was. Upon Gandalf saying that Bilbo's scent was unknown to the dragon, that was when the hobbit began to try to counter-argue but his words caught in his throat. 

Thorin then motioned at Balin who pulled out two contracts. One for Athelas and one for Bilbo. Bilbo took the contract in his hands and began reading it. Mumbling about incineration and the like, this then caused Bofur to make comments about what dragon fire does to a body. That was when Bilbo fainted. 

Athelas moved in next to Thorin, taking the contract from the gray-haired dwarf and she skimmed over it. Mentions of funeral arrangements and notifying next of kin caught her attention. Then it made mention of her share of the reward if the quest was successful. She didn't need gold. She looked to the dwarves before her and wondered if she could belong amongst them. She quickly took the quill from Balin's outstretched hand and signed her name before turning to the hobbit who had yet to wake up. 

He was very warm to the touch. His eyes fluttered open as Athelas knelt next to him. "Are you alive, Master Baggins?" She joked with him as she helped him up. He scoffed at her comment and shooed her away. Gandalf made his way to the hobbit and helped him stand up. He took the hobbit into the living room area and sat him in his small cushioned chair. The wizard disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a mug of tea for the hobbit.

Bilbo remarked that he would be all right and he just needed a moment of quiet. Gandalf seemed annoyed with the hobbit's comment and scolded him much like a father does with a disrespectful child. The conversation that the two were having seemed like on Athelas didn't need to be a part of so she stepped outside for a moment and took in the fresh air. 

The stars were bright in the sky and it was quite peaceful. Gaia liked the outside. She didn't like being cooped inside. For a moment, Athelas thought about letting Gaia have some time to just wander but she didn't know how the dwarves would react to her wolf. 

She then decided to go back inside only to almost run into Balin and Thorin. The older dwarf remarked that they had lost their burglar and that it was probably for the best seeing as none of them were the stuff of legends. The two then started talking about honor and that they didn't need to take back Erebor for they had a life in the Blue Mountains but Thorin was adamant on reclaiming their home, saying that it was destined to be. 

Athelas moved past the two and went into the living space where the rest of the dwarves were. They all began to hum a solemn tune. Thorin led the song that seemed to be unifying them all. It was a sight to see, to say the least. These dwarves were willing to die to reclaim their home. Athelas was honored to be among them. 

* * *

The next morning brought a new air to Athelas as she moved amongst the dwarven company. She refused to ride a pony and walked alongside Gandalf at the front of the group. She could move at the same pace as the ponies so it didn't matter. Getting bored of just walked Athelas decided to grace the dwarves with her wolf. 

She moved behind a tree and gathered her belongings into her pack. She changed into her wolf and came out alongside Gandalf with her pack in her teeth. The wizard took the pack from her and motioned for her to scout ahead. So that was what she did. 

Upon circling back to the group, she found that the hobbit had graced them with his presence and she couldn't help the smile that came across her wolf's face.


	3. chapter three | dust and bone

chapter three | dust and bone

_ She and Thorin had gotten separated. She had watched Kíli perish and she was ready to kill every last orc. Tauriel had tried to save him but neither of them had been quick enough. Everything in her screamed that she needed to find Thorin. She climbed through the ruins until she reached the bed of the frozen river and that was when her heart fell into her stomach.  _

_ Thorin and Azog were in the middle of the frozen river. Azog had a large rock hooked to a chain that he was swinging around, trying to break the ice from underneath Thorin. The raven-haired dwarf saw her out of the corner of his eye and yelled for her to stay where she was, to stay safe. He knew she couldn’t sit by as he died. He knew this very well.  _

_ Athelas desperately searched for a way down to Thorin. She was standing on a ledge high up and there seemed to be no way down but to jump and possibly hurt herself but that was a risk she was willing to take. She landed in a somersault which broke her fall.  _

_ “The skin-changer has come to watch you die, Thorin Oakenshield.” Azog sneered at the dwarf king as he swung his rock around once more before hurling it down on the ice, causing a large crack to form.  _

_ Athelas threw her twin swords to the side and growled lowly at the orc. “I have waited a long time for this moment. Your blood will taste sweet.” She spoke as she allowed herself to shift into her wolf. She lunged at Azog and knocked him off balance as she sank her teeth into his shoulder. She dragged him to the ground and jumped back as he swung the arm that had the sword attached to it.  _

_ She moved in front of Thorin, close enough that he could touch her fur. “I told you to stay safe, not join the fray,” Thorin remarked at her as he ghosted his fingers over her back. Azog stood up and swung his rock at the pair which they both dodged. The rock became embedded in the ice and Azog struggled to try to get it free.  _

_ That was when large eagles flew overhead, distracting them momentarily. Thorin looked to Athelas and then to Azog. He shoved Athelas’ wolf as hard as he could off the floating piece of ice. Then he grabbed the large rock and threw it at Azog before stepping off the ice which caused the piece to upturn on the orc who was helpless to fight.  _

_ Athelas changed to her human form as the orc slipped underneath the water and knelt down on the ice in pain. Thorin looked to his companion and felt relief slip over his body. He moved towards her and embraced her roughly, glad that he had not lost her. He cradled her bloody face in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. He whispered words in his language at her that she didn’t catch and gently pressed his lips to hers. She returned the loving kiss before parting with tears streaming down her face.  _

_ “Fili. Kili.” The names of his nephews spilled out of her as did the tears in her eyes and he knew that he had lost them.  _

_ Movement underneath the ice caught their attention as Azog’s body flowed down the river. The pair separated as Thorin followed the orc’s corpse with a steely look on his face. Then the unthinkable happened. Azog thrust a knife into Thorin’s foot and somehow leapt from the water, knocking the king onto his back. Athelas screamed loudly as Azog moved to thrust his sword into Thorin. She didn’t have any weapons so Athelas threw herself at the orc who caught her mid jump with his hand around her throat.  _

_ “I will enjoy killing you next wolf.”  _

_ Azog then threw her against the far wall and knocked the wind out of her. She gasped for air as she tried to get back up to save Thorin but she watched as Azog’s sword plunged into his body. She cried out in agony and her wolf took over. She leaped at Azog and pulled him off of Thorin. She slashed and gnashed her teeth on any part of the orc she could find. Her jaws found their way around his skull and she used every ounce of strength she had left in her to crush it.  _

_ She was right. His blood did taste sweet. _

_ She threw his body to the side and ran to Thorin’s side. She shifted mid-run and fell to her knees next to her King. Thorin reached for her as he laid motionless on the ground. She latched onto him and promised to not let go. “We did it. He is dead.” She whispered to him as he smiled a weak smile and reached up to caress her face.  _

_ “You are rather beautiful, my Queen.” He breathed out as the light began to leave his eyes. Athelas asked for him to keep his eyes open. She pleaded for him to hang on just a little longer than Oin would be there soon to heal him but Thorin slipped under. His blue eyes became dark and his last breath left his lungs.  _

_ With that Athelas cried out in despair and cradled her King to her chest. She had lost everything she had gained. _   
  
  


* * *

Athelas abruptly awoke from her dream and she needed to move. She felt so much pain. Most of the dwarves were asleep. Fili and Kili rested against the rock wall behind them and Thorin wasn’t far from them resting his eyes. Gandalf was busy smoking away at his pipe. The only other person awake was Bilbo who was sneaking his pony an apple. Athelas got up from where she had been resting and walked towards the edge of the cliff they were camping on. That was when she heard a sound that chilled her to the bone.

_ Orcs. _

Bilbo didn’t know that sound like Athelas did and asked what he had just heard was. Thorin’s nephews made light of the situation, making jokes about an orc night raid. Had Thorin not scolded his nephews, Athelas surely would have. Balin told the story of why Thorin hated orcs so much and the raven-haired woman felt sympathy for the dwarf. They had one thing in common. Orcs took their loved ones from them. 

Bilbo seemed to see the change in Athelas and wondered exactly what she was thinking. She was a mystery to the company, other than the remark she made about being the last of her kind. “Lady Wolfsbane, what is your story?” The hobbit dared to ask as she kept her back to the group. She had known questions would be asked. It was only natural for curious minds to inquire. Bilbo knew not of the world that lay ahead of them. He needed to know though.

“Orcs like to watch people suffer. They saw skin-changers as threats so they either killed them or enslaved them. I do not know what they did with them after capturing them but it cannot be anything good. My family was among those Orcs decided needed to die. I was little, no more than eight years old when they came in the night. I hid underneath my bed until one of them tore through my room and dragged me out by my hair. They made me watch as they slaughtered my mother. They made my father suffer. Broke his arms and legs first and then broke each of his ribs, one by one. I can still remember the sound it made. I bit the orc that had been holding me still and managed to run away. I hid in a hollow trunk for days before I left. I found my family dead and my home burned to a crisp.” 

Tears had crept out of her eyes as she told her story for the first time and relived the events of that day. Her hands laid at her sides in fists as she fought with Gaia. Gaia wanted to change and run away but Athelas wished to stay. She was tired of running. 

“The same pale orc killed my family and caused such pain in yours.” Athelas addressed Thorin with this statement as she turned to where he was standing and looked him in the eye. In the midst of her story, the rest of the dwarven company had awoken. There seemed to be an understanding amongst the group and Athelas moved so that she was in the middle of all of them, sitting down on a stump just next to the fire. 

Fíli and Kíli moved to either side of her and asked all the questions they could possibly think of until the sun peeked from behind the horizon. Athelas entertained their curiosity and answered their questions to the best of her ability. 

As they were to move out, Athelas gladly took the extra horse that Gandalf had for her. Though the creature wasn't all too fond of her. She whispered to the horse that she would be gone from him soon which he reluctantly allowed her to ride him. She rode alongside Gandalf at the front of the group with Thorin just behind her. Gaia was quiet which unsettled Athelas but she didn't dare speak of it. She could feel her in the back of her mind but she refused to come out and speak to her. 

It began to rain rather densely and Athelas pulled her crimson hood over her head. She glanced back at the dwarves behind her and snorted at how miserable they all looked in this rain. One of the dwarves asked Gandalf to do something about the deluge and Athelas rolled her eyes at the request. Gandalf remarked that the rain would do what it pleases until it didn't want to anymore, that there was nothing he could do about it. 

Bilbo then asked if there were other wizards. Gandalf went down the list of wizards, two of which he had forgotten their names. He remarked about Radagast the Brown, a wizard Athelas had met on one of her travels. 

The man was interesting, to say the least. He had met her in her wolf form and treated her as if she were a puppy as if her teeth and claws couldn't harm him. He had allowed her to live with him for a small amount of time as she found her bearings. He had been pleasant and entertaining. 

Bilbo then asked if Radagast was a great wizard or like Gandalf and Athelas raised an eyebrow at his words. Radagast was in his own category. He was fierce when needed and kind most of the time. If anything dared to harm the animals under his protection, Athelas prayed for that poor soul. Gandalf spoke the words that were on Athelas’ mind and she smiled at the memory of meeting Radagast at just twelve years old. 

“Wolfsbane!” Thorin loudly called out her name as Athelas looked back at him over her shoulder. “Scout ahead and find us shelter.” She nodded her head at his words and ushered her horse forward. 

There was evidence of orcs everywhere she looked. They had been there recently. Destruction is what they left in their wake. Athelas didn’t like the feeling of this area. Something was still there. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to meet it. There were the burnt remains of a home not far from the group and it would do for a resting spot but they needed to keep moving. Though she didn’t think Thorin would understand why she felt uneasy. 

She rode back to the group and stated that she had found less than ideal shelter but it was better than nothing. Thorin instructed his nephews to look after the ponies and for Oin and Gloin to make a fire. Athelas stood next to Gandalf as he surveyed the wreckage before them and he too felt uneasy. Gandalf advised Thorin to keep moving and make for the Hidden Valley which seemed to just piss Thorin off. He refused to take the help of elves. Athelas could see that arguing with Thorin was a lost cause so she began to wander away from the group. 

“Gaia, where are you?” She whispered to herself as she tried to get her wolf to talk to her. She got no response. She got no urge to shift into her wolf form. She felt content. She didn’t understand what it was that was going on. Athelas leaned herself against a tree for quite some time and rested. 

Near dark, Athelas made her way back to the group and found that Gandalf was nowhere to be seen. She wondered if he had had enough of the company of dwarves for the time being. Upon her return, the large red-haired dwarf moved rather quickly towards the woman with a bowl in hand and he held it out for her to take. “Bombur stew, my lady. It is my specialty.” He said with pride in his voice and even if the stew was bad, Athelas was going to tell him she loved it. She raised the bowl to her lips and tilted it towards her before taking a rather large gulp of the warm stew. She was met with a mixture of tastes that meshed perfectly together and made her feel warm inside as if she hadn’t been riding in the rain all day.

“Thank you, Bombur. It is rather delicious.” She told the dwarf as he blushed a rather dark shade of red and moved to busy himself over his stew again. She looked to the group before her and smiled. Bilbo walked past her with two bowls himself presumably for the two watching over the ponies and Athelas decided to go with the hobbit. Not far from the rest of the group were the ponies. Though it looked as if there were some ponies missing. 

Bilbo walked through the ponies to where Fili and Kili stood with their backs facing the ponies. “You know, to be able to watch something you have to be facing it,” Athelas remarked as she stood on the other side of Fili as Bilbo moved between the brothers. They made no move to look at those who had joined them and Athelas knew something was up. 

“You lost some didn’t you?” Fili immediately looked the skin-changer with a slight glare and looked to his brother who shrugged his shoulders. “Mind explaining to me how you came about losing ponies that are tied up.”

Athelas moved forward investigating the area and found tree upturned from the roots. Something big had come through here. How did those two not notice it? Bilbo asked if they should inform Thorin of the predicament which Fili quickly rejected, obviously not wanting to be in bad standing with his uncle and wanting to prove that he was of use. The woman rolled her eyes at the dwarf king’s nephews and continued to move forward. Whatever it was, they ended up finding, she could take care of. 

Athelas noticed a light of a fire in the distance and motioned for the trio to follow her quietly. Bilbo for whatever reason still held the portions of stew in his hands. They watched as a hideous troll moved past them with two more of their ponies and Bilbo stated that he believed that they were going to eat them. That much was obvious. 

There were three trolls huddled around a fire and a pot with something brewing. The smell hit Athelas’ nostrils and she wanted to vomit. Fili and Kili had encouraged Bilbo to try to steal the ponies back from the trolls and Athelas was crouched waiting for a moment to strike. Bilbo wouldn’t be able to steal them back so she was there to back him up. Fili and Kili had wandered off presumably to get the rest of the dwarves but she wasn’t sure on that one. The trolls were muttering amongst themselves about the seasoning not being right in whatever was in the pot and one troll sneezed into it, dripping boogers into it and they seemed to become excited by that. 

Bilbo was next to the pen that the trolls had trapped their ponies into and he was trying to find a way to free them. Athelas crept in closer behind the troll that had a spoon in hand and decided to distract them. It probably wasn’t the best idea ever but she was hoping she’d spill some blood that night.

“Who is that?” One of the trolls asked the others as Athelas made herself known and Bilbo gave her an incredulous look. The other trolls looked at the one who spoke and shrugged their shoulders before standing up to their full height. They were much larger than Athelas. She took out her twin swords and smiled dangerously at them. 

“I haven’t spilled troll’s blood in a long time, mind helping me out?” She remarked as she rushed towards the one with the spoon and slid under his legs, slicing his calves as she did so. He cried out in pain and swung the spoon at her but she dodged the swing. She thrust her sword at his arm and he recoiled quickly in pain. Black blood oozed onto the ground and Athelas felt alive. 

She rolled out of the way of his next swing and got into the path of the other trolls who tried to hit her but she was too quick for them. One of them caught sight of Bilbo and made to grab him but Athelas swung her sword into the troll’s stomach, causing it to cry out. It stumbled backward and loosely swung its arm in Athelas’ direction. She managed to dodge that swing but not the swing of the spoon to her temple. 

This knocked Athelas onto her back and disoriented her for a moment. It was long enough that the trolls towered over her and made to pick her up but war cries sounded out and the dwarves came out from behind the trees. She quickly collected herself and joined the fray. Thorin almost ran into her as he swung his sword at the troll with the spoon. The next few minutes of Athelas’ life were utter chaos but she didn’t care. That was until the trolls had gotten ahold of Bilbo and threatened to pull his arms and legs off if they didn’t lay down their weapons.

Athelas was the first to throw down her swords and Thorin was shortly after her. 

The trolls truly were halfwits. The half of the company was tied up in burlap sacks, Athelas among them, and they hadn't checked them for other weapons. Athelas was reaching for her dagger as the trolls went on about how to cook dwarf and who was right. Thorin was laid out just beside her and gave her a quizzical look as she wiggled around rather violently. She mouthed the word knife at him and he seemed to understand. 

She managed to grab ahold of her dagger and cut the ties that were around her wrists. She then pulled the sack down from around her body and slunk into the shadows. Thorin looked at her angrily, wondering why she hadn’t just freed them all. She stripped herself of her armor and quickly shifted into her wolf. She had promised them bloodshed. That was what she was going to do. 

Bilbo began to talk to the trolls, trying to stall them and think of a plan to free themselves. He made remarks on the proper way to cook dwarves but that was quickly interrupted by Athelas’ wolf charging in. She grabbed ahold of one of the troll’s throat and crushed it. Blood sprayed across the ground and covered her fur. That was when Gandalf showed, cracking a boulder in half and turning the remaining trolls into stone. 

Athelas paced around in her wolf form for a minute before shifting back and she felt all their eyes. Not only was she naked but she was covered with blood from her lips down. She didn’t know what unsettled her more. The feeling that having blood on her gave her or that she couldn’t feel Gaia. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first official Hobbit Fan Fiction so be gentle. I am really proud of Athelas as a character and am excited to see where her journey goes and how it all turns out. This will be painfully slow in the romance department. Thorin and Athelas obviously didn't get off on the right foot so there will be resentment on both sides. They have to gain each other's trust which for both is a hard thing to just give freely. Athelas is a strong character that really doesn't know how to interact with others anymore so expect so conflict there. Athelas likes to think she needs no one but she really just wants a home. She is pretty rough around the edges but I hope you fall in love with her as I have.


End file.
